Delta State Commissioner of Police Zanna Ibrahim dismissed three police sergeants from the force over alleged robbery. The commissioner, who paraded an additional 26 suspects for various offences including robbery, murder and other crimes, saying their dismissal was done in line with the extant rules of the force.

Mr. Ibrahim, who said the dismissed officers would soon be arraigned in court for prosecution as their civilian accomplices were already facing trial in court, explained that the suspects allegedly robbed a 33-liter load petroleum tanker in Agbor, Ika North local government area of the state, arrested and handcuffed the driver and his assistant and threw them into the bush.

They consequently took the stolen product to a filling station where it was sold in its usual manner.

“The three police officers have undergone department disciplinary measures. The department proceeding was completed before they were dismissed from service. What is left now is for us to charge them (ex-officers and civilian accomplices) to court; we are going to do that on Monday, August 14, 2017.

“The three ex-policemen and the two civilians who are already at Ogwashi-Uku Prison will be arraigned in court for prosecution," Mr. Ibrahim said.
One of the dismissed officers, Nwakem Ebonzim, told SaharaReporters in an interview that he received N500,000 for robbing the oil tanker and expressed regret over the act, saying he is a father of three and has served the force for 16 years.
“I am ashamed of myself now. I never knew what pushed me into it,” Mr. Ebonzim said.

Among the 26 suspects paraded were five suspects who shot dead the legal adviser of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Oshimili North local government area of Delta State, Festus Ashiedu, a lawyer, last month in Okpanam community.

The police commissioner said an investigation found that the legal adviser was not assassinated, as earlier speculated in some quarters.
“The killing was outright murder. The gang had attempted to rob Globe Supermarket before bumping into the late Ashiedu, whom they shot in order to use his car to escape," he said.

“Through prompt and discreet investigation by detectives, the killers of the lawyer have been nabbed and are undergoing investigation. From the confession of one of the robbery suspects, Obed Ikenna Oluchi, the late lawyer was killed by his group and not by hired assassins as speculated by some sections of the media,” Mr. Ibrahim said.